1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of distributing samples of a commercial product. More particularly, the invention relates to the distribution of samples of commercial products by attaching the samples to other commercial goods, such as: magazines, books, items for sale in convenience and/or grocery stores, pharmaceutical containers (including single dose containers), etc. Additionally, the present invention relates to the packaging of individual samples, such that the samples are presented to consumers in an accessible, informative, and aesthetically pleasing manner. Additionally, the present invention relates to the attachment of page marking devices, including but not limited to plastic adhesive flags, to publications and/or commercial articles.
2. Background of the Invention and Prior Art
It is a well known marketing strategy of manufacturers to distribute free samples of their goods in order to entice consumers to make future purchases. Benjamin T. Babbitt, a 19th century businessman, is recognized as being one of the first people known to have advertised through the use of free samples. Specifically, Benjamin T. Babbitt distributed free samples of soap. However, the use of free samples is pervasive in today's economy, and is no longer limited to the soap industry of Benjamin T. Babbitt.
Free samples are a commonplace in today's advertising and marketing campaigns. Free samples of a wide variety of goods are constantly being dangled in carrot like fashion in front of hungry consumers. The goods available as free samples are a diverse group ranging from individual commercial items (e.g., perfumes and pharmaceuticals) to services (e.g., gym or discount buying club memberships). However, all free samples, no matter what good or service is being “pushed,” suffer from an identical same problem, distribution. That is, unless the free sample is actually presented to and received by a consumer it cannot have the desired effect of enticing future sales. Put simply, a free sample that is sitting in a box has no market effect, whereas a free sample in a consumers hand has the potential for market effect.
A common example of an industry that uses free samples in advertising is that of men's and women's fragrances. Fragrance free samples are distributed using a variety of methods. Department stores often stock free samples of fragrances that are distributed to consumers in the store. Often these samples are distributed in one of two ways. First, free samples are distributed by a store clerk that offers to provide a sample either on a sample card or on the actual person of a consumer. Second, free samples are distributed during checkout where free samples may be included in the shopping bag of the consumer. Both of these methods suffer from many drawbacks.
The first method often is viewed negatively by consumers as an annoyance, and thus may actually harm the product placement more than it helps. The second method is not effective for a variety of reasons, including: the store clerk forgets to include the sample in the consumer's shopping bag, or conversely includes so many samples that no one particular product is highlighted. Given the numerous drawbacks of distributing fragrance free samples in person, some of which have been highlighted above, manufacturers and marketers have turned to other modes of distributing free samples of their products.
One mode of free sample distribution embraced by the fragrance industry is the use of magazines as a distribution tool. For example, magazines often include samples of fragrances in the form of folded magazine scent strips that when unfolded exposes a strip containing a microencapsulated fragrance slurry. The exposed microencapsulated fragrance slurry, while not an actual sample of a fragrance, allows the reader to smell the fragrance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,537 is directed to one embodiment of the fold-type magazine page for distributing fragrances, as described above. However, this method of free sample distribution suffers from numerous shortcomings.
A shortcoming of the fold-type magazine free sample, described above, is the placement of the free sample inside of the magazine and out of eyesight of potential consumers of the magazine (and fragrance). That is, a potential consumer of the magazine would not be able to see the advertisement and free sample without first opening (and likely buying) the magazine. Moreover, where the free sample is desirable and could be a positive selling point for the magazine, the internal fold-type magazine free sample fails to provide additional incentive to purchase one magazine over another.
A shortcoming of the fold-type magazine free sample, described above, is that most magazines have numerous pages of advertising, included in which are often a large number of fold-type magazine free samples. Thus, by placing the free sample as a page of a magazine, the manufacturer runs a significant risk of the free sample simply being overlooked and/or lost among the numerous other advertisements and free samples included in the magazine. This problem is similar to the department store clerk including too numerous a number of free samples in the shopping bag of consumer.
Another shortcoming of the fold-type magazine free sample, described above, is the lack of usability of the free sample. That is, the paper strip samples cannot be utilized in the same manner that a consumer would expect to use the advertised product if it were purchased. For example, a fragrance strip in a magazine might be rubbed on a potential consumer's skin to transfer a small amount of the fragrance, but this is not the way that fragrances are generally applied. Thus, a free sample of fragrance distributed in this manner cannot be utilized by a consumer over a period of time in order to help persuade the consumer to purchase the product. Additionally, a consumer might be skeptical that the actual product would be fairly represented in this form.
Another shortcoming of the fold-type magazine free sample, described above, is the inability to separate the free sample from the magazine without damaging the publication. That is, if a consumer would like to, for whatever reason, separate the scented strip from the magazine, it is necessary to tear or cut the free sample from the publication. This damage has many negative effects. For example, it lessens the consumer's ability to use the magazine by destroying content contained on the reverse side of the page containing the free sample. Generally, the front and back of fold-type magazine advertisements are used to advertise the same product. However, if the opposite side of the fold-type magazine advertisement was used as additional advertising space by the magazine, this additional advertising space would be negatively impacted by the removal of the fold-type advertisement. Thus, advertisers and marketers would likely be inclined to pay less for advertising space that is on the reverse side on a fold-type magazine free sample.
Another mode of free sample distribution by magazine is the inclusion of three-dimensional free samples, i.e., free samples that are of a shape that would prevent a magazine from lying flat when closed if the free sample were included inside of the magazine. These free samples are most often included (1) in the magazine's shrink-wrapping or (2) attached to the magazine cover or magazine pages. However, both of these methods have significant weaknesses.
One weakness of including a three-dimensional free sample in either of these ways stems directly from the shape and proportions of the free sample packaging. Specifically, if the free sample packaging covers a small portion of the magazine cover or page and is not relatively thin in comparison to the magazine cover or page, the free sample packaging is likely to cause damage to the magazine and/or other magazines during shipping and distribution of the publication. For example, if a small plastic tube containing a free sample of perfume was attached to a magazine page, the earlier pages of the magazine would have to bulge and disfigure to accommodate the shape of the free sample packaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,061 is specifically directed to this problem and provides a solution by cutting slots through multiple pages in a magazine that provide enough space for the free sample while at the same time allowing the magazine to lay flat when closed. However, this solution is unacceptable because it inherently reduces the value of advertisements placed on the pages found earlier in the magazine in many ways, such as: reducing the advertising space on the earlier pages, and possibly “cross contaminating” advertisements on earlier pages that when viewed by a consumer also reveals the three-dimensional free sample. For example, if Ralph Lauren is advertising a new fragrance, they would likely be less then pleased if a consumer viewing their print advertisement could also see a free sample of a Calvin Klein fragrance at the same time. Thus, the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,061 has significant problems.
Another problem associated with three-dimensional free samples included in the magazine's shrink-wrapping or attached to the magazine cover or magazine pages is that it creates a pressure point that may damage the free sample. For example, a free sample of perfume (in the form of a small plastic tube) attached to a page of a magazine creates a pressure point that is stressed when the magazine is stacked. This pressure point increases the likelihood that the free sample of perfume will be damaged and its contents spilled into the magazine, thus damaging the magazine and the free sample beyond use. Again this problem can be addressed by the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,061, but that method has significant drawbacks, as discussed above.
Additionally, advertisers and marketers have placed free samples on the covers of magazines, or simply included free samples within the shrink-wrapping of a magazine. For example, compact discs containing software are often shrink-wrapped with computer related magazines. This type of free sample distribution is positive in that it acts as an enticement to a potential consumer of the magazine. However, this placement of a free sample still results in the in the problem of bulging. This bulging problem does not affect the individual magazine including the free sample, but rather other magazines shipped and distributed with the magazine. That is, if a number of magazines are stacked and each of the magazines includes a three-dimensional free sample attached to the cover, then the only magazine not affected by the bulging is the magazine on the very bottom of the stack. Likewise, the magazine most likely affected most by the bulging is the uppermost magazine of the stack. This magazine is subjected to a bulge equal to the collective bulge of each individual magazine's three-dimensional free sample. For example, if ten magazines are stacked and each magazine has a 0.5 inch free sample attached to the cover, then the top most magazine is subjected to a 4.5 inch bulge while the bottom most magazine is not subjected to any bulge. This bulging would likely warp and damage the magazines during transit. Additionally, the pressure would likely damage or destroy the free samples attached to the covers of the magazines. In cases where the free samples are liquids, the damaging of these samples would likely cause collateral damage to the magazines themselves. Additionally, the bulging would decrease the number of magazines that can fit into fixed space magazine racks, such as checkout counter magazine racks.
Additionally, by placing free samples on the covers of magazines, the thickness of the overall magazine is increased. This is a drawback because the amount of shelf/rack space that is available for any given magazine is finite, and by increasing the overall thickness of the magazine the number of magazines that can fit into the finite space is reduced. Additionally, free samples placed on the front or back covers of magazines necessarily obscures the front and back cover of the magazine, including the magazines cover art/copy. The cover art of a magazine may entice a consumer to buy the magazine, and thus obscuring the cover art could easily be viewed as a negative by magazine publishers. Additionally, if the free samples are included with the magazines using shrink wrap, the magazine is unreadable at a magazine store or grocery checkout because the magazine cannot be opened.
Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,075 is directed to a binding product holder in the form of a transparent plastic tube that is capped and attached to the spine of a publication. The invention of this patent, while solving many of the shortcomings discussed above, is not appropriate for all forms of sample distribution. For example, a publication with the attached product holder of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,075 will not fit in many publication displays (e.g., grocery store checkout lane wire racks). Additionally, because many publications are very thin, the relatively bulky product holder of U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,075 will not attach correctly to the publication.
Therefore, there remains a need for effective methods, systems, and apparatuses for the distribution of product samples. In particular, there is a need for advancements in the distribution of samples attached to publications.